Climate Change as an Indirect Contributor to Terrorism

Speaker: Madeline Romm (National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), University of Maryland)

Date: 21 August 2024

Speaker Session Summary

Climate change is now widely recognized as a significant national security threat multiplier that exacerbates existing state and regional vulnerabilities, increasing the likelihood of conflict. Environmental stress intensifies human, economic, and political instability, particularly in countries in Africa and East Asia. Livelihood and food insecurities are two major drivers of climate-related violence. Ms. Romm highlighted that when these insecurities emerge, individuals often turn to illicit means to support themselves and their families. To illustrate, she presented a map showing the overlap between Indonesian fishing hotspots and conflict zones. Indonesia is experiencing severe climate effects that threaten housing, infrastructure, farming, and agriculture, with these effects often compounding one another, leading to heightened insecurity. 

Two key responses to the exacerbating factors of climate change on state security are climate migration and resource exploitation by elites. Migration, as an adaptive response to climate effects, can increase conflict over resources, especially along ethnic lines. For instance, Fulani herders in Ghana have degraded the environment by moving their livestock to new grazing and watering areas, heightening tensions between agriculturalists and pastoralists. Additionally, elites in various countries may exacerbate climate effects by exploiting increasingly scarce resources for personal gain. For example, Nigeria’s Rural Grazing Area (RUGA) policy aimed to establish settlements for nomadic herders but has raised concerns about potential government land seizures and fostered an environment for political violence. Violent non-state actors also exploit climate-related vulnerabilities to gain control over resources and land. In the Philippines, rebel groups exploit economic deprivation and livelihood insecurity to recruit individuals affected by climate shocks. 

Speaker Session Recording

Briefing Materials

Biography: Madeline Romm is a Researcher and Project Manager at the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START). She is also a lecturer for the Criminology and Criminal Justice undergraduate programs at the University of Maryland (UMD). Madeline earned her Master of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice from UMD, building on her previous studies in psychology, religion, and legal studies at Bucknell University. Her early criminological work investigated the relationship between gender, age, decision-making, and criminal activity culminating in her MA Thesis, “Thoughtfully Reflective Decision-making and Crime Types: What is Genders Role?” Madeline’s current work connects criminology, the Internet of Things, the study of terrorism, and climate security. She is a mixed-methods researcher and applies diverse knowledge and methods to study, analyze, and draw attention to connecting climate change and security to consider what indicators, measures, and scientific practices can be used to understand climate security’s complex relations.